Ball applicator fitment



March 23, 1965 w. R. FRANK BALL APPLICATOR FITMENT Filed Dec. 1l. 1962.2 @iw mfg?. .www am@ 2 m/, 4 VJ 3 n ,f .n B 23 2 r im @3 Af 3. 5 1 M lM 1 /4 A/fe /3/ 3 l 3 l A w/ w A 5 l.: o M 3 l 3f 1 l o 2 03 2 l 1 3 3 wM ,////U\-\ 1 5mg/c 3323A United States Patent O 3,174,175 BALLAPPLICATR FHMENT Walter R. Frank, Elmhurst, lll., assigner to W. R.Frank Packaging Engineers, Inc., a corporation of Hlinois Filed Dec. 11,1962, Ser. No. 243,820 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-572) This invention relates toa ball applicator fitment such as may be used with a bottle of so-calledroll-on deodorant lotion. The fitment is employed with (a) a containerto which it may be secured, (b) an applicator ball rotatably confined bythe fitment, and (c) a container cap adapted to press down against theapplicator ball when the cap is secured to the container.

The iitment of this invention includes (1) a ball support memberdefining a generally spherically shaped cavity in which the applicatorball is rotatably confined and which has an opening at its upper end;(Z) a generally outwardly directed shoulder having a bottom face forconforming contact with at least the outer perimeter of the terminalface of the container neck; (3) and annular ring directed generallyinwardly from the shoulder to continue the cavity in the ball supportmember and provide a ball sealing surface at its inner edge portion; (4)means for securing the fltment to the container; and a flange extendingdownwardly from the inner portion of the annular ring, with the upperportion of the flange being spaced from the container neck and the lowerportion having conforming contact with the neck.

It is essential that the area of the ball sealing surface with which theapplicator ball is in contact when it is pressed down by the containercap, as the cap is secured to the container, be located at least insubstantial part within any and all lines running from the center of theball through the innermost points of contact between the terminal faceof the container neck and the bottom face of the outwardly directedshoulder. It is this feature that results, as will be explained below,in the knee action of the downwardly extending flange as its bottomportion is pressed against the inner surface of the container neck whenthe container cap presses down upon the applicator ball.

The tment of the invention is an improvement over the tments disclosedin U.S. Patent No. 1,977,414, issued to Testa on October 16, 1934, andNo. 2,823,403, issued to Whitney on February 18, 1958. With the fitmentsof the prior art, the lotion or other liquid contained in the bottle towhich the litment is secured may leak into the space around the outersurface of the itment which is in Contact with the inner surface of thecontainer neck, thus tending to decrease the efficacy of the seal atthat point between the litment and the container neck.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing a kneeaction in the flange that extends downwardly inside the container neck.In the preferred form this flange is normally urged against thecontainer neck, and may be provided with a knife edge or feather edge toincrease its efficiency still further. Y

If desired, the upper portion of the ball support member through whichthe applicator ball is inserted into the cavity in which it is rotatablyconfined, the annular ring that extends inwardly from the ball supportmember and outwardly directed shoulder, and the downwardly extendingflange may be made from a resilient material that further increases theeffectiveness of the ball-to-iitment and tment-to-container neck seals.In fact, if desired, the entire tment may be made of resilient material.

The ball applicator fitment of this invention is further described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional View of one embodiment of the ballapplicator litrnent of this invention in place upon a container,together with the applicator ball land container cap associatedtherewith;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View of a second embodiment of the ballapplicator fitment of this invention in place upon the container, andcontaining the applicator ball with which it is associated;

FlGURE 3 is a similar cross sectional view of a third embodiment of theball applicator litment of this invention, secured to a container havinga tapered mouth;

FGURE 4 is a similar View of a fourth embodiment of the ball applicatortment of this invention, secured to the same type container FiGURE 5 isa similar View of the ball applicator fitrnent of FIGURE l, with avariation in the shape of the outer surface of the downwardly dependingflange that extends into the container mouth; and

FGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the ball applicatortment of FIGURE l, with another Variation in the form of the outersurface of the downwardly depending flange that extends into thecontainer mouth.

In FIGURE l, ball applicator tment 1i) is shown in place upon containerneck 11 of a container 12 of a type employed with so-called roll-ondeodorant lotion.

Applicator ball 13 is shown in place within cavity 14 which is definedby upper walls or ball support member 15 of itment 1li. Container cap 16is shown threaded into place upon container neck 11, by means of threads17 in neck 11 and corresponding threads 13 in the bottom of the insidewall of the container cap.

Container neck 11 defines outlet bore 20. Neck 11 terminates in radiallyoutwardly directed terminal face 21.

Cavity 14 has the general shape of a portion of a sphere. At its upperend, it terminates in and communicates with opening 22. Opening 22 has adiameter smaller than that of applicator ball 13, but large enough thatthe applicator ball may be conveniently snapped into place in cavity 14by pressing it down through opening 22.

As a result of the structure just described, ball support member 15 isadapted to rotatably confine applicator ball 13 within cavity 14.

The upstanding walls of ball support member 15 merge into generallyoutwardly directed shoulder 25, which extends below walls 15. Outwardlydirected shoulder 25 has bottom face 26 for conforming Contact with atleast outer perimeter 2'7 of terminal face 21 of container neck 11.

Annular ring 311 extends generally inwardly from shoulder 2S. Its uppersurface defines a continuation of generally spherically shaped cavity 14in ball support member 15. The upper surface of annular ring 30 includesa ball sealing surface 31 for conforming contact with applicator ball13. The inner diameter of annular ring 36 is smaller than the diameterof applicator ball 13, and hence ball sealing surface 31 supports ball13 in place within cavity 14. As seen, ball sealing surface 31 hascontinuous conforming contact with ball 13 for substantially 360 aroundthe ball. The outermost diameter of ball sealing surface 31 is, asshown, smaller than the diameter of container neck 11.

Flange 32 extends downwardly from inner portion 33 of annular ring 3d.The upper portion 34 of the outer surface of flange 32 is spaced at allpoints from the container neck 11 when litment 10 is installed in placeupon the container. The lower portion 35 of the outer surface of flange32 has substantially continuous conforming contact with neck 11 for 360around the neck when the fitment is installed in place upon thecontainer. As is shown in the drawing, the area of said conformingcontact with the container neck lies on a radial line extending from thecenter of applicator ball 13 through the central portion of saidcontinuous ball sealing surface.

Securing wall 3S extends downwardly from outwardly directed shoulder 25,and is provided with inwardly extending rib 39 at its lower portion. Rib39 is adapted to form a snap fit with groove 40 in the outer wall of theupper portion of container neck 11. The action between rib 39 andIgroove 40 thus secures iitment 10 to container 12 when the former issnapped into place upon the container.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the area of ball sealing surface 31with which applicator ball 13 is in Contact when pressed down bycontainer cap 16 when the latter is secured to container neck 11 islocated entirely within any and all lines such as A-A which may be drawnfrom the center 45 of ball 13 through the innermost points of contact 46between terminal face 21 of container neck 11 and bottom face 26 ofoutwardly'directed shoulder 25.

In useit is seen that when container cap 16 is screwed upon containerneck 11, upper wall 47 of the cap presses down upon applicator ball Y13,which in turn presses against ball sealing surface 31. This pressureupon ball sealing surface31 causes the knee formed by inwardly directedannular ring 3i) and downwardly extending liange 32 to tend to rotatedownward and outward. This tendency to rotate, in turn, increases thepressure between conforming surface 35 of flange 32 and mouth 20 ofcontainer neck 11.

When the pressures just described are exerted, it is seen that a secureseal is obtained for the contents of container 12. The sealing surfacesinclude container mouth 20, inner surface 48V of downwardly extendingflange 32 and bottom surface 49 of applicator ball 13.

When container cap. 16 is removed from container 12, the seal betweenapplicator ball 13 and sealing surface 31 may be broken by rotating theapplicator ball. At the same time, the seal between lower surface 35 offlange 32 and mouth 20 of container neck 11 continues.

If. all of surface 31 were outside line A-.A in FIGURE 1,. as is oftenthe case in prior art devices, the pressure of ball 13 against surface31 would tend to cause flange 32 to ilare away from mouth 20 and permitthe lotion or other liquid contained in bottle 12 to leak into the spacearoundr outer surface of flange 32. Y

In the ball applicator litment of this invention, this decrease in theefficacy of the seal between flange 32 of the tment and container mouth26 is avoided by locating at least a substantial part of sealing surface31 within line A-A. As a result, and because of the spacing betweencontainer mouth 20 and upper portion 34 of the wall of ange 32, someknee action inevitably results which tends toforce surface 35 moretightly against the wall of container mouth 20 whenever applicator ball13 is pressed down against sealing surface 31;

The degree of knee action is increased if a major part of sealingsurface 31 lies inside line A-A, and is made greatest if the entireportion of the area of sealing surface 31 lies within line A-A, as inthe embodiments shown in the drawing.

The knee action of downwardly extending flange 32 is greater in theembodiment of this invention shown in FIGURE 2 than in the embodiment ofFIGURE l. In the embodiment of FIGURE 2, outwardly directed shoulder 25is provided with a bottom face 50 which has conforming contact only withouter perimeter 27 of terminal face 21 ofl container neck 11. Bottomface 50 is spaced from terminal face 20 inwardly of perimeter 27 whenthe tment 10 is installed in place on container 12.

It will be seen from FIGURE 2 that this structure and positioning ofbottom face 50 of outwardly directed shoulder 25 produces a stillVhigher arch for the knee which is formed by inwardly directed annularring 30 and downwardly depending flange 32.

In the embodiment being described, the entire area of ball sealingsurface 31 lies within line B-B, drawn from center 45 of applicator ball13 through innermost points of contact 51 between terminal face 21 ofcontainery neck 11 and bottom face 50 of outwardly directed shoulder 25.If desired, the pressure of contact between surface 35 of downwardlyextending liange 32 and the wall of container mouth 20 can be increasedin any ofthe embodiments shown in the drawing by constructing flange 32in such manner as to normally urge or press surface 35 into conformingcontacts with the wall of mouth 20.,

In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wall of container mouthor outlet bore 20 and radially outwardly directed terminal face 21 ofcontainer neck 11 are ioined by tapering annular shoulder'52..

In FIGURE 3, bottomY face 53V of outwardly extending shoulder 25 is inconforming contact not only with outer perimeter 27, but also all ofterminal face 21 and of tapered annular shoulder 52. In FIGURE 4,however, bottom face 54 contacts only outer perimeter 27 and-terminalface 21, and is spaced from tapered annular shoulder 52.

As will be seen, the knee action of annular ring 30 and downwardlyextending flange 32 as ball 13 presses against sealing surface 31 willbe greater in the embodiment of FIGURE 4 than in FIGURE 3. The spacebetween the knee on the one hand, and the wall of container mouth 2t)and' tapered annular shoulder 52 on the other hand, is greater in FIGURE4.

Similarly, although sealing face 31 is inboth cases located within anyline drawn from the center of ball 13 through the innermostr points ofcontact between the terminal face and the tapered annular shoulder ofthe container neck, the distance within that line is greater for FIGURE4 than for FIGURE 3.

In kFIGURE 3, sealing surface Y31 lies entirely within line, C-C, drawnthrough center of ball 13 and the innermost points of contact betweentapered annular shoulder 52' `and bottom face 53 of shoulder 25. InFIGURE 4, sealing surface 31 lies entirely within line D--D, drawnthrough center 45 of ball 13 and the innermost points of contact 61between bottom face 54 of shoulder 25 and terminal face 21 of connectorneck 11.

As bottom portion 35 of the outermost surface of downwardly extendingange 32 is pressed more tightly againstv container neck 20 in FIGURES lthrough 4 by pressure ofA ball 13 'upon sealing surface 31, it will becaused to move downward slightly in response to that ressure. Thisdownward movement may be utilized to produce a squeegee action upon thewall of container mouth 2i), to clean ohc from that Wall lotion or othermatter contained in bottle 12 that might otherwise tend to seep upthrough the contact between surface 35 and container mouth 20.

The embodiment of FIGURE 5 includes knife edge 62 on the outer surface 35 of the lower portion of flange 32, as a means of improving thesqueegee action just described. In the embodiment of FIGURE 6, a featheredge 63 is provided for a similar purpose.

If desired, the upper portion of walls 15 may be formed of resilientmaterial in order to increase the ease of insertion of applicator ball13 within cavity 1-5. Likewise, annular ring 30 and downwardly extendingflange 32 may be formed of resilient material to improve the knee actionresulting from use of the ball applicator iitment of this invention.

If desired, the entire tment may be made of relatively resilientmaterial, and the thickness of outwardly extending wall 25 will preventany substantial deforming of downwardly extending wall 38 to reduce thesecurity of attachment provided by the snap t between rib 39 and groove40.

The above detailed discussion of this invention has been given forclarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should beunderstood therefrom, since modifications will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

I claim: f

l. A ball applicator iitment foruse with a container with a dispensingopening dened by a neck having an outlet bore and a radially outwardlydirected terminal face, an applicator ball, and a container cap adaptedto press down against the ball when secured to the container, whichcomprises: a ball support member defining a cavity having the generalshape of a portion of a sphere, said support member having an opening atits upper end communicating with said cavity, said opening having adiameter smaller than the diameter of said ball, said ball supportmember being adapted to rotatably coniine said ball within said cavity;a generally outwardly directed shoulder extending from said supportmember, said shoulder having a bottom face for conforming contact withat least the outer perimeter of said terminal face of the containerneck; a continuons annular ring directed generally inwardly from saidshoulder, the upper surface of said annular ring dening a continuationof the generally spherically shaped cavity in said ball receivingsupport member, said upper surface including a ball sealing surface forcontinuous conforming contact with said ball for substantially 360around the ball, the inner diameter of said annular ring being smallerthan the diameter of said ball; a iiange extending downwardly andoutwardly from the inner portion of said annular ring, the upper portionof the outer surface of said iiange being spaced at all points from thecontainer neck when the iitment is installed in place upon thecontainer, the lower portion of said surface having substantiallycontinuous conforming contact with said neck for 360 around the neck,the Aarea of said conforming contact with the container neck lying on aradial line extending from the center of the ball through the centralportion of said continuous ball sealing surface; and means extendingdownwardly from said outwardly directed shoulder for securing the itmentto the container.

2. The ball applicator itment of claim l in which the area of said ballsealing surface with which the applicator ball is in contact, whenpressed down by the container cap when the latter is secured to thecontainer, is located entirely within any and all lines drawn from thecenter of the ball through the innermost points of contact between saidterminal face of the container neck and the bottoni face of saidoutwardly directed shoulder.

3. The ball applicator fitment of claim 1 in which the bottom face ofthe generally outwardly directed shoulder has conforming contact solelywith the outer perimeter of the terminal face of the container neck, andsaid bottom face is spaced from said terminal face inwardly of saidperimeter when the trnent is installed in place upon the container.

4. The ball applicator tment of claim 1 in which the lower portion ofthe outer surface of said flange forms a knife edge in conformingcontact with said container neck.

5. The ball applicator itment of claim 1 in which the lower portion ofthe outer surface of said flange forms a feather edge in conformingcontact with said container neck.

6. The ball applicator iitment of claim 1 in which the outermostdiameter of said ball sealing surface is smaller than the diameter ofsaid container neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,784 2/55 DeBrock 15-572 2,823,403 2/58 Whitney 15-572 2,975,466 3/61 Fillmore15-572 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

1. A BALL APPLICATOR FITMENT FOR USE WITH A CONTAINER WITH A DISPENDINGOPENING DEFINED BY A NECK HAVING AN OUTLET BORE AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLYDIRECTED TERMINAL FACE, AN APPLICATOR BALL, AND A CONTAINER CAP ADAPTEDTO PRESS DOWN AGAINST THE BALL WHEN SECURED TO THE CONTAINER, WHICHCOMPRISES: A BALL SUPPORT MEMBER DEFINING A CAVITY HAVING THE GENERALSHAPE OF A PORTION OF A SPHERE, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING ATITS UPPER END COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY, SAID OPENING HAVING ADIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BALL, SAID BALL SUPPORTMEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY CONFINE SAID BALL WITHIN SAID CAVITY;A GENERALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDER EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPORTMEMBER, SAID SHOULDER HAVING A BOTTOM FACE FOR CONFORMING CONTACT WITHAT LEAST THE OUTER PERIMETER OF SAID TERMINAL FACE OF THEL CONTAINERNECK; A CONTINUOUS ANNULAR RING DIRECTED GENERALLY INWARDLY FROM SAIDSHOULDER, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULAR RING DEFINING A CONTINUATIONOF THE GENERALLY SPHERICALLY SHAPED CAVITY IN SAID BALL RECEIVINGSUPPORT MEMBER, SAID UPPER SURFACE INCLUDING A BALL SEALING SURFACE FORCONTINUOUS CONFORMING CONTACT WITH SAID BALL FOR SUBSTANTIALLY 360*AROUND THE BALL, THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR RING BEING SMALLERTHAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BALL; A FLANGE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ANDOUTWARDLY FROM THE INNER PORTION OF SAID ANNULAR RING, THE UPPER PORTIONOF THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE BEING SPACED AT ALL POINTS FROM THECONTAINER NECK WHEN THE FITMENT IS INSTALLED IN PLACE UPON THECONTAINER, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SURFACE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLYCONTINUOUS CONFORMING CONTACT WITH SAID NECK FOR 360* AROUND THE NECK,THE AREA OF SAID CONFORMING CONTACT WITH THE CONTAINER NECK LYING ON ARADIAL LINE EXTENDING FROM THE CENTER OF THE BALL THROUGH THE CENTRALPORTION OF SAID CONTINUOUS BALL SEALING SURFACE; AND MEANS EXTENDINGDOWNWARDLY FROM SAID OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDER FOR SECURING THEFITMENT TO THE CONTAINER.